If you’re a 50 year old woman ...

[Angelicabean]

What is your day to day life like? What routines/interests do you have? How do you spend your time? I know the saying is comparison is the thief of joy but I’m just interested really!

Has anyone retrained in their late fifties I wonder?

work full time single parent to two teens, so busy, broke, dealing with a tidal wave of shopping and housework but beginning to feel that freedom is around the corner! Is it?! I am getting free in my head.

Has anyone retrained in their late fifties I wonder?

Lucy Kellaway. Lady down my road about the same age also trained to become a teacher. I'm sure there are thousands others like her. The normal thing is for people to change careers at least a few times after age 55, as they downshift from earlier careers into transition jobs before full retirement. Journalists become teachers or nurses become yoga teachers or oil platform engineers become painter and decorators or bankers become farmers, etc.

I'm 52. Started a new job in March which would normally involve a bit of foreign travel, but due to Covid I've been WFH in my kitchen since then. I have teenage dc in year 12. She's normally out the door by 7.45 so I make sure to be up for then. In normal times I'd be up about 6.30. I normally log in to work about 8 and log out sometime early evening but everything's a bit flexible at the mo. I spend a lot of time in Skype/teams calls and we laugh about when we might actually meet up, in Prague or Paris or Casablanca. It all seems a bit unreal at the moment.

Lucky enough to have a cleaner and a DH who is a fab gardener. So household duties mainly involve loading of dw and wm. Haven't ironed a thing since March. 😂. I go out quite often with the girls for drinks or food and also weekends away. Travel is my big passion so I hate that everything has been cancelled this year, trips to Sorrento and Lisbon and Texas where our friends live. Did manage a weekend in Feb half term to Oslo with dd which was fabulous and we did a family week in Zeeland in July. I'm too nervous to fly still at the moment so am cautiously looking at European rail adventures for next year. Last year we did a 3 week trip round middle/Eastern Europe which dd really loved. She's bored with beach/pool. Maybe Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Venice, Italian Lakes. We went to Lake Maggiore last Easter and I would like to go back. Lake Como we also loved.

I'm a little older at 55
I work full time doing shifts. At the moment it's blended work, sometimes from home and going straight out to see the families we support and sometimes I'm office based.
Times are different due to covid but I generally spend a lot of my time with my husband and adult children and their girlfriends having weekend away with them away where we mountain walk and mountain bike in Scotland.
On my days off in the week I mountain bike and meet up with friends from the climbing group I'm in.
We (normally) go to a lot of gigs, virtually every weekend if we can
I like to have people round and often have gatherings as I love to cook and make cocktails 🍹
I'm trying to get fit again as I've lost a bit of fitness and put on weight so I'm doing home workouts until my gym opens
Life is pretty easy and happy ( at the moment). However I always have a feeling that the rug is about to be pulled from under my feet and I wish I could I could get rid of that feeling.

@Runningdownthathill I retrained a couple of years ago to become a teaching assistant.

I'm 47 with two 14 year-olds.

Get up 7ish after another night of sleeplessness.

Drive one son to school (1-1.5hr return trip). DH drives other to a different school.

Come back for 9, start wfh, DH in another room wfh.

3.30pm leave to collect other son from school, while DH does the 1-1.5hr pickup of other son.

Home at 4pm, continue work

5pm start dinner

6pm DH finishes work, serve dinner

Evening, lounge in front of TV. Ds might join us if we are lucky. Check work emails, make school sandwiches for next day, tidy up etc.

Bed about 11.30/12 but then wake up around 4am unable to sleep. DH in separate room due to this.

Just read my post - how dull!
Would like to add that we used to go to gigs most weekends and that's when I see my mother too.

Also try to do something with DS at weekends.

I used to have lots of friends but must make an effort to rekindle friendships and start new ones. Lose weight and get fit.

Hoping 50 will bring a new me, kids off to uni (hopefully) so no more school treks of a couple of hrs a day, which are exhausting on top of work.

At the age of 52 I still have another 6 years to go before ds goes to Uni. It has been amazing having him, and I know I'm so blessed, but its definitely more tiring in your 50s.

I have two part-time jobs spread over six days, so that gets me out of the house most days. I do all the housework, most of cooking and easily my share of the gardening, messing about with plant pots for outside and in. Somehow found myself painting one of the bedrooms this week. I love reading books (there's never one far away). I do one exercise class with others and a couple online. I also enjoy walking, one day I go with my friend up the local hill, the other times with DH or on my own. Used to meet different friends or a group each week for coffee, but with covid all of us are meeting a lot less and more likely one to one. Oh, and I have two very demanding cats who take time!

Forgot to mention DD, she's already at uni. I was lucky when she left as a lot of friends were in the same position so we got together a bit more the first few weeks.

Exactly 50. One teen Dd and son of 10. Working in a very demanding job full time from home. DH was made redundant during covid and so I feel under pressure as I'm currently paying everything (mortgage, school fees, all bills). DH started some contracting this week so hopefully this will help.

I work about 40-50 hours and still seem to manage a lot of the mental load. Dd has had some MH issues so I worry a lot and she takes up a lot of my emotional headspace. I don't exercise enough and am having a glass of wine almost every night.

Still, weirdly I'm still quite happy. I really enjoy my job and feel massively relived I can support us all if needed (no holidays but everything paid for.) DH and I get along. It's lucky I do enjoy it as I'll need to work until at least 65 if DS does do medicine like he keeps saying he wants to!

I'm a bit younger at 47, but nearer 50 than 40. WFH full time as does DP, no kids. Live in a stunning part of the country so we do lots of walking at the weekends. Lockdown has made me realise what a homebody I am as not being able to socialise, apart from not being able to see close family hasn't altered my life at all

55
one dd at uni
one dd left uni, covid bought her back home.

i do wonder about retraining but my job is easy and i am lazy. although i love walking my dog and wish dh was more active

Early 50s
HCP worked in NHS for 30 yrs
50/50 wfh/ hospital
Dcs teens uni/ school
Aim to exercise for an hour daily probably manage it 3 times a week
Aim to retire ina few years time when youngest goes to uni
Enjoy my job mostly but NHS management and bureaucracy does my head in and I can’t be doing with it for much longer

@shinynewapple2020 and @NOTANUM, I just wanted to thank you both very much. I have terrible self confidence. Both of you have made me feel brave enough to believe that I could actually do a job I loved and hopefully make a difference.
One of the families I support is moving away next week, I’m so pleased for them, and the feeling that I have been a tiny part of their success story, is life affirming. She has come so far, with ALL the cards stacked against her.
Thats what I want to do more of.

I was 50 this year.

I quit my job last year and started studying to become a counsellor.

We also got a dog last year so my daily routine has me walking ddog sorting food and a bit of tidy. Then study time apart from Wednesday where its all day course. Tuesdays I have my own counselling and I will also be slotting in a placement next year.

Hobbies. I enjoy crochet knitting and cross stitch sometimes I do paper crafts but thats been rare in later years I will admit.

I read and I follow a few you tubers (mostly true crime ones) so take time to listen to them.

For many right now my life would appear idyllic I am aware I am privileged to be able to give up work. Dh working from home due to covid has meant we have sepnd more time together the last year than the previous 25.

Forgot to add 4 children

1 a NQT living at home this year
2 at uni
1 doing a IB in Denmark living with my sister

They are age 17 to 22

I am 50. DH makes me a cuppa in morning, sometimes I get up to do his lunch, mostly I stay in bed to drink my tea, then get up to see him off to work. I am not working at present, due to covid. We were empty nesters but have got one back home. This has given me more shopping an cleaning to do, neither of which I like. I am trying to learn some social media skills to try an do something on line. So try to do a bit each day. Aswell as course I signed up for. Like to potter in garden, have grown my own veg this year. Cook dinner for us all so usually Start that about mid afternoon. Look after several reletives so that takes up a lot of time. They think it doesn't. 😟 I like to sit an watch TV in the evenings snuggle up on sofa unfortunately dh doesn't feel the same so quite often sit on my own.☹️. I am struggling with covid anxiety as no one else seems to be too bothered about showering an changing their clothes when they get home. DH gets very cross that I don't want to hug or kiss him when he gets in untill he changed clothes. They started doing it at start of covid but now they seem not to care. Am constantly reminding them to wash hands. 😲 Oh an probably spending far too much time on MN.

@Ylfa

I had very difficult few years at 50. I am now 53. I have horse and dogs and a huge talent for crying. So your message resonated.

I am sorry you are going through such a hard time. If you want to PM, please feel free.

According to many MN posts:

Get up and read The People’s Friend with my tea.
Peruse my wardrobe and decide which elasticated waist crimplene ‘slacks’ to wear with a waterfall Cardi.
Spy in my neighbours and fire off a couple of e nails to the council composing about the noise of toddlers in their garden.
Go out for lunch, breaking lockdown and spending loads of my undeserved Boomer wealth.
Come home and do a jigsaw or puzzle books
Leave a passive aggressive message on my DDIL’s phone
Settle down on my sofa wrapped up in wrist warmers, a pashmina and a slanket, to watch Mrs Brown’s Boys.

In my alternative reality (aka RL) I
Get up and do my exercise regime
WFH at present, as CEO of a creative organisation, also advising the local authority, running projects etc.
In moments of prevarication and procrastination plan my next camping and waking trips
In non lockdown swim outdoors 4 times a week.
Cook as healthily and thriftily as poss in the evening
Meet a friend for a drink (in not lockdown times) or at W/e go to a gig or cinema
Visit Uni offspring at W/e, see the sights
Go travelling in hols, exploring and travelling in new countries.
Am learning BSL .
Have always worked for organisations that are charities / grant funded so have crap pension: saving as hard as possible for distant retirement!

49 here, usual scurrying around in the morning - I drive DS1 to secondary school then get DS2 ready to walk to primary. Catch up with emails, news etc, have a coffee with DH, laundry and housework (following TOMM) then lunch and housework for my housebound Dad every day and shopping and housework for my housebound Mum twice a week. Back in time collect DS1, DS2 arrives home half hour after we do. Spend time with them, homework music practice etc then prepare supper which we always have at 6. It seems like the day just vanishes! I don't know how people do all this and work as well!!

I'm 50. Working very hard partly due to COVID pressure on my job in a school. Up very early, long drive to work, long day, long drive home.
I'm knackered and anxious and a bit depressed to be honest.

HOWEVER, in normal times my life is considerably easier and less anxiety-inducing. I'm generally happy.

I work full-time as a teacher and boarding parent in a boarding school. Wake the students up at 7. Breakfast with them at 7.30. Teach for between 4 & 7 hours, depending on the day. An hour's study time with students after dinner. On duty with them. Police technology use, bedtime.

In my pre-covid free time, I would go back to the UK to travel to see my family, go to nearby towns/cities on the train to explore. Read, sew, watch movies online. Out for coffee, go to the gym.

In my 50s, get up at 6am,NHS so still at work, second marriage to a lovely man. Have three kids we can’t see face to face at moment, ( all late 20s but hoping they are all abiding to govt advise and will stay safe)We laugh, walk alot and as we can’t do much at the moment, read, quiz, decorating, avid letter writer,gardening, cooking, go food shopping once per week and watch TV, lovely life and appreciate every day as we can’t be sure we will be granted the next ....,why do you ask ?